#by the way: no dorothy mention in this one. 0/10.

[the-eclectic-wonderer]

Oh so they picked the one song that makes me immediately tear up to end this episode huh. Cool. coolcoolcoolcoolcool

Okay, that aside -- some thoughts under the cut (watch it because I ended up writing a whole essay lmao).

I feel like this was the weakest episode so far, which is a pity, because it had a lot of potential.

Sophia's Chinese restaurant B-plot was funny enough (although the casual racism towards the Chinese has... aged poorly, let's say), and the 'teaching Oliver about the birds and the bees' C-plot was a good little way to fill some time, so I have no gripe with those.

The A-plot, however... Look, the premise was great; we've seen similar premises in TGG and they were handled very well. The start was great too!! The first couple of scenes, where Rose figures out what's going on with Vivian and then tells everyone about what happened to her mom -- those are great! I actually teared up! And we got to learn some new information about Rose that actually impacted my perspective on her character, so -- well done! Very good!

But then, it... lost steam? Sort of? I was gearing up for these big, emotional moments that just... never came. When TGG treated dementia, it did so with its usual modus operandi: a serious story for a serious theme, with a few well-placed jokes sparked in-between to enhance the sadness. When Blanche's mom tells her 'I thought Virginia was the slut!', you laugh, because it's funny; and then you see Blanche's face, you see the thousands of emotions it goes through in a split-second, and (although her answer is still funny) you know this is a serious moment you're watching. There's an emotional charge there that's kept up throughout the whole flashback and hits hard (and I'm sure I don't even have to talk about Sophia's run-in with Alzheimer's, do I?).

This time around, while Betty White's performance was stellar and subtle in all the right ways, it seemed as though the writers decided to turn the whole plot into pure humour right after the beginning. The emotional moments are played short (Rose changes her mind after one short talk with Blanche and Roland, for example) and the comedy is given first place (even Rose's reaction to the police taking 'Vivian' away is played for laughs, since we know that it's really Sophia that's being taken away). Rose has some serious emotional involvement in this whole affair and I feel like that just got... glossed over, after the first couple of scenes; all that emotional build-up was just left with nowhere to go.

It doesn't help that this is framed as a contrast between Rose and Roland. I know the girls have to interact with the new cast, and I welcome the idea of a Rose-Roland episode in general, but this premise just didn't work with that, I'm sorry. The Blanche-Roland plot in E2 worked because it made sense for both of them: Roland had an emotional involvement because he's been taking care of the hotel for years and Blanche was dismissing his expertise; Blanche had an emotional involvement because she feels personally responsible for the Girls' well-being (ie for the hotel's success) and Roland was (rightly) questioning her competence. It was a natural thing for them to clash on, and it worked very well in developing their relationship to each other.

In this case, however... on one side we have Rose, who reveals some information that is very personal and very emotionally charged to her and acts as a consequence of said information, and on the other side, we have:

Sophia, who has been in a home before and therefore knows how the whole experience feels from the other side;

Blanche, whose mother suffered from dementia and was in a home during the last years of her life;

Roland, who Rose has known for a few months at most and who acts as the voice of reason because... that's his role.

Ok, Roland has some serious concerns about the legality of it all, which is a good basis for how he acts in general -- but not a good enough basis to contrast him with Rose's position, not when there's two other characters she has a much stronger history with and who could bring their own history and emotions into the mix. I think Roland could have acted very well in a supportive role against Rose here, pointing out the legal/safety aspects of keeping Vivian around, but think of how much more powerful the episode would have been if Sophia or Blanche had been Rose's main counterpoint here! Blanche even goes off to talk to Rose alone at some point, which makes a lot of sense because they've been close friends for ages (and if someone can get through to Rose, it's her), and then... nothing comes from it. Instead, the role of changing Rose's position (and then consoling her) is given to Roland, who has no emotional connection to her yet (or, at least, not a solid one).

I don't know, maybe I'm just biased because I love the girls already and I'm still getting to know these new characters, but it feels absurd to me. If any of you have a different opinion, I'd love to hear it! Maybe you'll show me a different side of this episode I haven't considered! But as of now, this one's just disappointing to me.

It's time for The Golden Palace episode 4, everyone! Just to recap, we now live in a(n almost) Miles-free world, and I still have a shovel at the ready. This next episode is titled One Old Lady To Go and I don't really know what it's going to bring, so... let's dig in!

[elemental-daddy-neos]

YGO! Questionnaire

Tagged by @cipher-wise

Pleasantly surprised to be in one of these, so let’s go

Favorite series: *Gestures to icon* Is it any surprise I’ll be picking GX? I love GX with all my heart and soul. The story’s pacing is very good and never feels like it’s dragging its feet to get to where it’s going, most duels are over in less than a full episode with the longest one being three, there are so many good characters to get invested in, and this boy right here is your protagonist.

Look at him blow kisses to the audience after beating Crowler, how could anyone not love Jaden Yuki? I care him so much. Even the filler episodes in GX are pretty fun to watch most of the time, and it’s the good kind of filler that may not advance the plot much or at all, but it’ll give you plenty of good memories to take with you. Who could possibly forget the eggwich thief? Not to mention the soundtrack fucking slaps.

Favorite protagonist: I mean...

Yeah it’s Jaden. GX hooked me immediately when I started watching it because of how much I loved this boy. He’s that perfect mix of cocky and sweet when it comes to dueling because he’s confident in his own abilities, but he never stops having fun and being amazed at what his opponent can do, he cares about all of his friends and does his best to help them with their problems, he’s kind to strangers, and he has exactly half a brain cell. 

I feel the gif speaks for itself, but Jaden’s dialogue when he turns around here is “I’m such a sucker for things like this! I’ll help you, ma’am!” Dorothy says “No, you’ll be late... Don’t you have a test today?” And Jaden replies with “Who cares if I’m late? I couldn’t leave a lady in trouble!” Jaden Yuki is my absolute favorite protagonist.

Favorite rival: Oh man is that a tough one. Am I allowed to pick two? It’s a hard call to make between this dumb edgy bitch-

And this dumb gay bitch

Honestly they’re tied for favorite rival in my book. I absolutely loved Chazz when I watched GX, and I thought his arc about breaking through his inferiority/superiority complex and learning to accept loss as a part of life without letting it define him was wonderfully written, and seeing him grow as a person throughout the show just made me feel happy for him. Shark... I really thought I wasn’t going to end up liking Shark at first, but god he just gets so much better as Zexal goes on, starting out as this mean spirited middle school bully in episode one, and slowly ending up as Yuma’s boyfriend closest friend. It’s incredible to look back at how Shark acts when he’s first introduced and compare it to... season 3, I think it was, where just hearing the words “Yuma’s in danger” is enough to send him running to his rival’s side. Chazz and Shark. They are my favorites.

Favorite BFF: Him

Crow Hogan is an absolute treasure and he was my favorite part about watching 5Ds. This little bird man first gets introduced by stealing cards for his kids and clowning on Sector Security, and he’s a source of so much good throughout the show. Excellent best friend (technically brother but I’m counting him), wonderful father, 10/10 person all around. Plus the fact that the only thing stopping him from berating his bitchass brother even more was Yusei having to literally pick him up and pull him away is definitely extra points in my book. What a powerful little bird. His only weakness is people that are taller than him, which is unfortunately most people.

Favorite GFF:

Yuzu. Have I actually watched Arc V yet? No, but I’m still picking Yuzu for my number one here. Tea and Tori are just awful characters, I’m neutral towards Alexis, and Akiza... Did have potential to be something interesting on her own, despite how uncomfortable she made me in seasons 1-2 of 5Ds, but her relevance is alllll downhill from there. I’ve seen one clip of Yuzu yelling at a man eating pie and calling him a 100th rate duelist, and that was all I needed to know she would be my favorite. (Clip here) 

Favorite villain: Oh boy

The fuckin carrot is my favorite villain, and I say this as someone who fully believes he didn’t deserve to be in the last episode. Vector did some fucked up shit in his day, and he only continued to do fucked up shit in Yuma’s day, but I have to say he was pretty effective when it came down to his goals. He got things done and went right for what he wanted by taking direct action to seize Don Thousand’s power, and he manipulated Yuma perfectly by preying on his kind nature and love for Astral to use him to further his goals. 

...Plus I mean just look at his subbed dialogue God he’s such a slut. Evil slutty alien.

Tl;dr Vector was a horrible horrible person, but he was a good villain, and he was so entertaining whenever he was on screen that it was impossible not to like him. Still kinda wish he got what he deserved though, and what he deserved definitely wasn’t another chance.

Speaking of Don Thousand though, can we talk about how unfairly pretty he is? If I had to pick a runner up villain in terms of looks alone, it would definitely be him.

God it was not fair how pretty the big bad of Zexal was. He’s fucking gorgeous, and in my opinion, the best looking villain at the very least.

Favorite card: *Sweats in Duel Links* Favorite? There’s so many cards out there to pick from, but since I’ve already broken the rules with my two favorite rivals, I’ll be picking two of each card type: Spells, traps, and monsters. One for the aesthetic, and one for how often I make use of it.

First up, the Aesthetics group

What can I say, Vampiric Koala is such a cutie, Dwimmered Path has some really pretty card art, and Rainbow Life is an eternal flex on any heteros I may encounter while playing Duel Links. Nothing better than a gay trap card.

Now for usability

Dragon Knight of Creation is suuuper helpful in any dragon themed deck and has a permanent slot in my decks for Mokuba and Kaiba, PoG is always a fun way to boost up weak monsters to ridiculous heights, and Dark Bribe just lets you block your opponent like “Okay I know you wanna hurt me but I will let you draw another card if you do not do that thing”, and they can’t refuse you.

Favorite episode: I’ll be copying cipher’s format here and picking one for each series, but this will still only total out to five for me since I’ve yet to watch past Zexal ^^; Soon I’ll get to Arc V! One day...

Season 0: Episode 16:  Turnabout by a Hair's Breadth - The White-Robed Crisis I’m a sucker for my son Joey, and this was a good Joey episode about him and his sister, plus it was nice seeing that doctor get what he deserved :) Duel Monsters: Season 5, episode 12-14:  The Deciding Match for Duel King - Yugi vs. Leon/Golden Castle of Stromberg/KC Grand Prix Ends  Probably a weird batch of episodes to pick, I know, but a lot of DM was kinda forgettable to me, and these are some of the few episodes I do recall. I just... really felt for Leon’s situation, and I wanted good things for that boy. I care him. GX: Season 3, episode 34: Dark Fusion! Inferno Wing!! Jim. Jim Jim Jimmmmm. This was the episode that finally made me understand why saviorshipping was a thing because it hits you with all these memories Jim has of Jaden and shows how they bonded before all this Dark World shit happened, and the whole thing was very emotional. 5Ds: Season 4, episode 2-3:  Recollections, Entrusted with a Friend's Dying Wish God Crow, my precious bird son. I really liked the backstory they gave him, despite how much it hurt. It was probably the best character development he got in the whole of 5Ds, and let you see a side to him you probably wouldn’t expect. I loved watching him get his justice. Zexal II: Season 2, episode 5-6:  Alito the Silent Fighter - Reunion of the Passionate Duelists!/ Be Revived! The Duelist Soul That Transcends Life!! I picked these episodes for Nistro and Nistro alone. He was one of my absolute favorites in Zexal, and seeing how well he and Dextra were doing was good for the soul. Just look at this good lion man right here.

Look at him!!!

Favorite decks to use: Elemental Heroes, Aromages, Red Eyes, Six Samurai, and Crystal Beasts.

Fusion, Ritual, Synchro, Xyz, Pendulum, or Link: I’m a simple girl, I love fusion/tributes for how easy they are, but synchro can be pretty fun, too

Years in fandom: ??? Even I don’t know the answer to this one, friends. I used to be in the fandom when I was in middle school, wrote/read a few fanfics here and there, but then I fell out of it for... Well I’m 22 now and only got back into things 6 months ago? I started rewatching the abridged series of Duel Monsters in March, and from there I just wanted to consume actual Yugioh content and never went back.

Who am I tagging: @finding-fallen-petals @dizziedaikonn​ @chazzaroo​ Go wild y’all

[movingshelves]

Tracking my “series to read one day, just not today”

Authors who have written a lot (as in “I do want to read them but where do I even start ? Should I read them in a row ?”)

Lois McMaster BUJOLD

Vorkosigan Saga (7/31)

I feel like I need to reread from the start to be able to continue.

Bothari is something. Miles is one of the few disabled characters I’ve read and it was really upbeating to have him. Pure enjoyment.

C. J. Cherryh

I wanted some old science-fiction by female writers (thanks to The Left Hand of Darkness)

Anything by her is fine.

Glenn COOK

The Black Company (0/10)

I like my fantasy to be gritty. With adult protagonists.

Steven ERIKSON

Malazan Book of the Fallen (1/10)

Read and liked Gardens of the Moon. I wanted to read all of them before leaving some place, turns out that I really overestimated my ability to read. Furthermore, I would need to reread this volume and it is long. Postponing and postponing until I have both the time and a lasting ability to read. Requires a lot of commitment and raises the question of “how do you read a long series without forgetting anything in-between two volumes ?”.

Robin HOBB

What is happening with the Fool ?!

The Realm of the Elderlings (read the first few chapters long ago)

The Farseer Trilogy (0/3)

Liveship Traders Trilogy (0/3)

The Tawny Man Trilogy (0/3)

The Rain Wild Chronicles (0/4)

The Fitz and the Fool Trilogy (0/3)

Katharine KERR

Deverry Cycle (0/15)

Dunno. She appears too often in my brain for me to let her go.

Katherine KURTZ

Fantasy from the 70s ? By a female writer ? Checked ! Classical fantasy without it being a young girl bullied, I am in.

The Chronicles of the Deryni (0/3)

The Legends of Camber of Culdi (0/3)

The Histories of King Kelson (0/3)

The Heirs of Saint Camber (0/3)

King Kelson's Bride (0/3)

The Childe Morgan Trilogy (0/3)

Marcel PROUST

In Search of Lost Time (0/15)

For reasons I’ve since quite forgotten.

Rick RIORDAN

Percy Jackson & the Olympians (at least two volumes read) (2 ? /5)

The Heroes of Olympus (0/5)

The Kane Chronicles (0/3)

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard (0/3)

Somehow, it seems possible to read all of their series ... but I can wait

C. S. FORESTER

Horation Hornblower (0/15)

Watched one movie. Historical and maritime. Not something I am used to : “let’s try it”.

Cornelia FUNKE

Inkheart trilogy (0/3)

I swear I do read more “recent” books.

Ursula K. LE GUIN

Earthsea (0/6)

I’ve discovered Le Guin with her science-fiction. I like the idea of a young Ged wandering around, though.

Karin LOWACHEE

Warchild, Burndive, Cagebird (1/3)

I unexpectedly found Warchild at the library. I didn’t remember why I wanted to read it (surprising ?) but borrowed it nonetheless. To this day, I still don’t know how to feel about it but this one made me sad.

Angie SAGE

Septimus Heap (0/7)

One of those series I missed when I was younger. (Before Twilight took over).

Jonathan STROUD

Bartimaeus Sequence (0/3 + 0/1)

Had to return the first volume before completing it.

Lockwood & Co. (2/5)

Nice likeable characters. Really enjoyable but not enough for me to actively search for the following books, and even more so when I am down.

J. R. R. TOLKIEN

The Lord of the Rings (something like 5/1000+ pages ?)

Technically not a trilogy but long enough to know that I might struggle to get through it.

May finish The Silmarillion way before tackling the series.

Tad WILLIAMS

Memory, Sorrow & Thorn (0/3)

I like to read some “old” finished stuff, what can I say more ?

Roger ZELAZNY

Chronicles of Amber (0/10)

Doesn’t seem that long. Old series, as usual, there is a chance I might be in.

I am on my way (like possibly reading it in the next ten years)

Lynn FLEWELLING

Tamír Triad

The Nightrunner Series 

Both of them.

Diana Wynne JONES

Howl's Moving Castle series (1/3)

A pain to find her books in libraries and bookshops unless I buy them on the net. I do have two out of the three books in this series. And Howl’s Moving Castle is one of the few books I’ve reread and plan to reread again.

Ursula K. LE GUIN

Hainish Cycle (1/8)

I used to be less interested in science-fiction before but The Left Hand of Darkness was a slap in the face to say the least. Still not over it, it has been too long, already. A bit afraid to be disappointed in her other works (but I won’t, right ?).

Mary RENAULT

Alexander novels (0/3)

It’s either that or her Arthurian novels. I have a (weird ?) interest in Alexander the Great. This guy thought on a grand scale. Died young. Truly sad.

Dan SIMMONS

Hyperion Cantos (0/4)

I stop everytime after the priest story. Every single time.

Rosemary SUTCLIFF

The Eagle of the Ninth (1/8)

Read The Eagle of the Ninth a year ago, perhaps more, and I regularly crave for a reread.

Other series worth mentioning (quite often those ones from the 1980s-1990s, r/fantasy is often to be blamed)

Bernard CORNWELL,  Stephen R. LAWHEAD, Mary STEWART and Jack WHYTE

King Arthur.

Dorothy DUNNET

Lymond Chronicles (0/6)

I do like historical novels, even though I rarely read them. Perhaps was recommended because of Guy Gavriel Kay and prose ?

Jennifer FALLON

The Wolfblade Trilogy (0/3)

I have no idea why. Perhaps romance (?) and politics ?

Robert JORDAN (0/15)

The Wheel of Time series (0/15)

Once saw a fanart of Rand. It’s enough for me to begin a series. However, I am afraid that the depiction of women will leave me with a sour taste. Also, I don’t really like Brandon Sanderson (Way of Kings was just a nightmare to finish).

Juliet MARILLIER

The Sevenwaters Trilogy (0/6)

Yep, right, trilogy. Retelling of a tale. Why not.

 Sarah MONETTE

Doctrine of Labyrinths series (0/4)

???

Michael NAVA

Henry Rios novels (0/8)

I rarely read crime novels. I did found about these books at a specific time so I am very fond of these novels.

Melanie RAWN

Dragon Prince (0/3)

I don’t even know. Female author. Forgotten one ? Old one that nobody around me knows about.

[stone-man-warrior]

December 31, 2020: 3:15 pm:

Some representatives of various Unions heard tell about the argument between the Carpenter’s District Counsel and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and sent some of their people to see why the Carpenter was forced to wait, but didn’t, and did work out of the realm of his job description, and why the Electrician left the job-site where the light-bulb was burned out, and want to know where he went, and why he didn‘t just wait for the Carpenter to build the scaffolding necessary to change the bulb. So, there is Autoworker’s Union Representative, Chrys McDryver, who seems positively exhausted, a big wig from the Electricians Union District Counsel, Leonard Static who reports say is “all coffee’d up”, United Farm Workers sent someone, a transgender by the name of Lilly Spade, and a spoke’s person from an arbitration firm in Kansas, Dorothy, last name unknown. They brought Caesar Chavez to help deal with those assholes at Communication Union, and as representation for the Internal Decorator’s Union who are busy at Time’s Square, arranging draperies, and a ball. They all feel the Communication Union is a lot of dead weight, waiting to happen, are meddling, and came to say so... Laborer’s Union could not attend the meeting, had to work, so, they sent a broom, as symbolic gesture. The argument had escalated by then, all the way to US Department of Labor, in DC.

The meeting took a turn when Ceasar took matters into his own hands, and drew the curtain, on behalf of Internal Decorators Union.

The outcome of the meeting is sketchy at best, as the Communication Union Representation seems to be suffering from an economy of words, has not been seen or heard from as of this writing, so, there is no report from the proper Union coming out of the Department of Labor in DC.

Stay tuned, but make sure you use someone from the American Musician’s Association for that in case you are called upon to speak as a witness, because it’s the Carpenter’s Union who’s job description is to build Stages and Pine Boxes, arbitration could result from improper, or substandard tuning, or non-OSHA approved soap boxes to stand on.

3:54 pm:

This Just In:

Reports from sources at the event explain that the Iron Workers Union was contacted and were asked to send a representative to join the others at the meeting in DC at DoL, however, the report says that the Iron Workers Union has been completely dissolved, and there are no more Iron Workers.

Stay Tuned.

=====

4:46 pm:

Unfamiliar sources at the meeting are reporting some strange details about the whereabouts of the Iron Worker’s Union Members. So far, it seems as though the Iron Worker’s contracted their communications to a PR firm at the recommendation the Communications Union some years ago, and the report states that a mix-up occurred somehow, a number of years ago, or, some unexplained activity took place when the Iron Workers were under the impression that they were dealing with a PR firm called “The Press”, but somehow, lines were crossed, they had been in contact with a Chinese Laundry with the same name for a number of years, the report states. That Chinese Laundry called “The Press” is said to have forwarded all of those misdirected messages to “The Press” PR firm who were recommended by the Communications Union, who sent representatives back to the Chinese Laundry to see why Chinese Engrish was being sent to them when they were contacted by “The Press” PR firm that they recommended to the Iron Worker’s Union and notified that way about the mix-up.

The only solid information, it turns out, is that the Chinese Laundry in question has new management now, and a name change occurred there to “One Hour Martinizing” at some point in the distant past.. There doesn‘t seem to be any former employees available from the Chinese Laundry to speak with, and the One Hour Martinizing was closed for the holiday when the unknown source went there to follow up on the lead about the Iron Workers Union all being gone or unaccounted for, or otherwise have not been responding for extended amount of time, the report states.

My impression of the Iron Workers and the reports about crossed lines of communication, is, that there is something fishy going on at the former Chinese Laundry turned “One Hour Martinizing”. The group who went to DoL in DC, it seems, were well founded when they said that the Communications Union is a lot of “dead weight, waiting to happen”.

Please Wait for further updates as this story is developing and is hot off the press.

=====

5:20 pm:

Further incoming news from possibly unreliable sources close to the matter in DC is shedding light in the form of news derived of a leak from Department of Transportation Secretaries Office Elaine Chao saying that someone from the Chinese Laundry, described as a woman with a prosthetic foot by the name of Eyelene, who was seen outside of the Statue of Liberty holding a photo of Ron Wyden and Greg Walden while shouting “There must be some kind of holdup!” and pointing at the Statue of Liberty.

Further details are not available.

Correction: The woman from the former Chinese Laundry’s name is “Eyereen“.

=====

5:31 pm:

This Just In: A local sky writer has sent anonymous note saying there is some kind of secret message associated with the word “Oz” with a possible connection to Josephine County Circuit Courts whereby the letters “O” and “Z” are numerically transcribed as the 15th and 26th letters of the English Alphabet. The connection, according to the skywriting pilot, is that one of the Zip Code’s for Josephine County is 97526, which seems to have very little connection to the word Oz to me, but I am not a pilot, so, I included that for your consideration.

I see more alpha-numeric value in the notion that MS13 can be numerically transcribed to: “13 S 13″ and “13 19 13″ and “13 10 13″, but that is better left for members of the Rocket Science Union to equate further, and has nothing at all to do with Department of Labor in DC as far as I can see as of this writing.

=====

6:22 pm:

Incoming local response to this developing story suggests that the Bible Passage “Isaiah 41:10″ is used in connection to “MS13″ when that is transcribed to “13 10 13″ and then to “4 10 4″, but partly in Quebec French, according to the French Canadian clerk at 6th Street Market in Grants Pass. She says the “four” is spoken like a “hock”, but with a “Clear your throat” roughness quality to the speech for saying “four” in French. I am told the “4 10 4″ transcription can be changed to “41 0 Hock”, and, the zero can be a “10″ because it follows “9″. So, that makes “41 10 Hock”. There is more, so I am told, the “Hock” is to be said to be “Quarters”. That all translates to: “I need a place to stay” when “Isaiah 41:10″ and “MS13″ are combined in a conversation between two terror soldiers covertly as “41:10 Hock” or “41:10 (Clear Your Throat)”.

The Bible Passage from Google Search:

“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

All of that is also used by terror leadership at the White House and the Various US Departments, such as DoL, and news media networks, with news stories about “MS13″, which is not a gang, is a way to say: “Isaiah 41:10″, and that allows a terror system that is frightening to regular citizens, while is secretly a communication of good will between terror soldiers in the field, who may be in some distress of some kind, and their US Government official leadership command chain. The communication down stream of leadership becomes: “I need a place to stay” or in conversely: “I have a place for you to stay”, or in a single word spoken either way: “Quarters”. Third Amendment US Constitution is the same communication as is “MS13″ and “Isaiah 41:10″ when spoken between terror soldiers.

There are no further reports of light bulbs, or Unions.

=====

8:34 pm:

Reports are rolling in at a rapid pace, none of which are from reliable sources however.

So far, taken with some salt for flavor, it seems the DC DoL Curtain call has drawn representation from NRA, and the Chinese Fireworks & Fire Drill Manufacturers Consortium has also joined the other ranks in DC at the Union Light Bulb Convention. There are reports saying that the event is being considered as a annual housecleaning event, but just as an early suggestion from the Fire-Drill representatives, all of the others, they say, are still arguing. The Iron Workers, I am told, have been flooded with a towering amount of calls to the various Local Union Halls, but no reports of getting through are mentioned, due to an absence of Communication Union representatives available to make comment, or to connect the phone lines with PBX Operator’s. Plumber’s Union was sent to DoT, to repair a leak. “Tomorrow is Friday”, they say, “payday”, so they are not willing to get involved with the discussion at DoL down the hall until Monday.

Personally, an uncanny phenomena associated with this ongoing lead, is that the more I open the door to the office, the more reports I receive, and in rapid succession when I step outdoors for a break. They’re quantity over quality I’m afraid, not many are “News Flash” worthy.

On a lighter note, The Count Counts the Countdown to the end of the year, as he always does, even if it is a re-run.

=====

9:01 pm:

Sources say the Plumber’s Union at DoT found what appears to be a submerged heap of Lincoln Brand Welder’s at the DoT plumbing leak; are too oxidized to know more about where they may have come from, why they are there, or how many Lincoln Brand Welder’s there are. No reports of association to the missing Iron Worker’s is noted in the report.

=====

9:08 pm:

Caesar Chavez who was representing the Interior Decorators Union was seen leaving the Capitol Building rapped in some draperies from a side door, as the news from the Plumber’s came in about the Lincoln Welder’s. Still no word from Communications Union members since the event began.

=====

9:20 pm:

This is big. It seems Donald Trump has put together a team to look into the Lincoln Brand Welder’s reported by the Plumber’s Union at the DoT plumbing leak. So far, all that is known is Department of Fish & Game headed by former Bureau of Land Management Secretary Ryan Zinke is to be sent to find the Lincoln’s.  National Sheriff’s Association is said to have offered jet boats to the leaky area were the Plumbers are working to repair the DoT leak. They will deploy ASAP, says the source.

=====

9:31 pm:

National Sheriff’s Association has delivered an unspecified number of jet boats to the DoT leak. Latest reports include that Chrys McDryver from United Autoworker’s Union is interfering with the NSA, says boats are in the realm of Autoworkers job description, and some of them have faulty lighting.

Also, Zinke’s people from BLM are at the scene, turns out that in absence of knowing where the Communication Union representation is at, Al Sharpton and the NAACP are there now to fulfill whatever duties are necessary from the BLM team to find or retrieve those Lincoln Brand Welder’s that the Plumber’s Union discovered underwater somewhere at the Capitol Building.

Dorothy is showering, I am told, and requested a change of clothes from White House Staff, Kellyanne Conway. Trump sent Sarah Huckabee to head security measures at the event, as it escalates. Electricians Union and Farmworker’s are lobbied in the lounge at the Department of Labor, where the event started.

A Carpenter’s Apprentice was sent to Autozone at the request of McDryver, for a selection of lightbulbs for the jet boats brought by the Sheriff’s Association who have teamed with NRA to man the boats when or if the search gets underway once the light-bulbs are changed.

=====

9:57 pm:

Sources say Al Sharpton is interested in learning more about the Isaiah 41:10 and MS13 connection, wants to consult with Chavez, but is not aware that Mr. Chavez left out the side door, Kellyanne Conway is said to be stalling his efforts to make a connection to the Third Amendment, and Mr. Sharpton has made initial claims that the White House is in violation of the Third Amendment, citing that Kellyanne Conway is a terror soldier residing at the White House. Mr. Sharpton is consulting his Pocket Bible, as Chrys McDryver of UAW looks over those Sheriff jet boats for OSHA and DMV violations. In absence of Communications members, the UNCF is providing Call Age Services. Dorothy is in very good spirits considering the size and scope of the activities at the Capitol Building.

Farmworkers and Electricians Union representation is said to be passed out on the sofa’s in the lounge lobby at DoL.

I am told a Wizard has stolen some draperies from a storage closet at the Capitol Building, aided by Sarah Huckabee, and the two were last scene in a Secret Service surveillance trailer in the parking area, with a Lincoln Brand Hong Kong Chinese Knock Off Generator provided by Elaine Chao, running.

=====

10:19 pm:

That new Fish & Game Department of NAACP members is advising that the Wizard and Huckabee are just bait, trying to draw attention away from the Lincoln Welders, and towards Generators. Sharpton is referring to his Pocket Bible, opened to Genesis, reports say.

=====

10:28 pm:

Sources at the scene say there has been a turn of events. The Kansas Arbitration Consulting Firm, Dorothy, has convinced all involved that since the International Electricians Union representation, Leonard Static is not available to change the light-bulbs on the Sheriff’s Association Jet Boat’s and is passed out with Lilly Spade of the Farmworkers Union in the lounge lobby at the Department of Labor, that everyone will adjourn the convention until Friday, to discuss if they all wish to continue on Monday, when the Plumber’s Union asked them all to “Please Wait. Please Wait. Please Wait. Please Wait. Please Wait. Please Wait.....”

=========================================

(Disclaimer: This entry is completely fictitious, as is the Man Behind the Curtain, is presented for entertainment purposes only. and should not be confused with any other contents of this account at StoneMan Warrior, where all of the reports are as real as if gets, made here on Tumblr in absence of any other way of seeking assistance to stop Global Domination Terrorism, mass murder, and take-over of USA, it’s Constitution and the Freedom it provides it’s citizens)

[sonipanda]

So I have been dying to try out tights like these, especially when I’m travelling by plane. I have always seem them dotted around stores, but never actually picked them up! So I decided that I wanted to wear a pair to Malta and see what they’re actually like.

The Spec

Colour: Black

Denier: 60

Size: Small

Price: £14.99

Website: Superdrug Scholl Small 60 Denier Compression Tights

My Outfit

Seeing as I had a long journey ahead of me, I decided to wear something comfortable but nothing too warm as I knew I would be baking when I got to the other side.

I went with my cream side tie crop jumper, along with my lace black shorts and my black velvet pumps. It was practical enough as I normally wear joggers and a hoodie when I go anywhere long distance!

My Deets

Jumper: Firetrap

Shorts: New Look

Tights: Scholl

Pumps: Dorothy Perkins

  The Review

I have got to admit I have a lot to write about these – there is so much information that comes with these tights so you know the exact benefits of them (which I think is fab!)

So let me start by grabbing what’s on the website about these tights:

Compression tights that help boost circulation and give you perfectly shaped legs.

Features

Your legs never knew they could feel so great!

Opaque 60DN tights that look & feel fantastic. * Graduated compression helps to boost circulation along the entire length of the legs to help prevent tired & achy legs * Breathable tights that last up to 100 washes without losing shape and colour * Super comfortable stretchable yarn that applies pressure to give you more shapely legs

Scholl FIBRE FIRM™ technology provides gradual compression from the ankle all the way up the leg which helps boost circulation by applying pressure to tighten and shape your legs.

Warnings or Restrictions

Wash at 40 degrees Do not iron

Product Specification

77% Polyamide, 23% Elastane, 60 Denier (DN) Appearance, Opaque, Graduated compression 4mmHg – 10mmHg, Reinforced toe.

Size (0) Unit (EA) Height (17.8) Width (10) Depth (3)

Product code: 712629

Product Uses

To ensure your tights last make sure your fingernails and toenails are free from rough edges that could snag the tights and cause ladders or holes. Remove any jewellery that could catch on the tights.

How to use: 1. Gather the tights with your thumbs in the toe area and gently pull over your foot.

2. Fit the tights by gently stretching the tights up one leg and repeat on the other leg.

3. Gather the waistband and fit it comfortably in your waist area. Readjust the thigh, calf, ankle and toe by gently pinching and manoeuvring the tights.

Now the LIGHT LEGS™ are fitted.

How amazing is that?! You don’t even need to think twice getting them as they give you all the lowdown on the website already!

  The Packaging: I have to say it does look very ‘pharmacy / medical’ looking to me rather than a fashion pair would look it. The front shows the tights and the back goes into far more detail about them.

Inside you will find a card which the tights are wrapped around explaining how to put them on to get the maximum out of them.

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Getting Them On: you will find that these are super tight, and I mean I struggled to get them on. But then again it just shows how good they are going to be! I didn’t tug them up too much as I wanted to just pinch and pull once they’re fully on so I can set them in place after.

Warning: If you’ve not done compression before, these will feel really tight on the legs for a few minutes whilst you get adjusted to them. Don’t think it will be like that all day as it will settle.

  The Toes: are nicely compressed in these but don’t feel tight once my feet adjusted to them. I have to admit during the whole 18 hours I spent in them travelling, they served me very well and my feet aren’t hurting at all!

  The Waistband: is something that I found unusual. The top of it sat perfectly on me, and to be honest it didn’t feel like I was wearing any the whole day. They are so comfortable to be in and they don’t apply a lot of pressure onto the tummy either.

Around the top thigh you will find these little stripey parts – now this is where I was a little confused as I don’t know what they are supposed to do. It mentions nothing on the packaging about this bit, so I assume that it has the compression component in them!

  The Denier & Feel: I have to say is really nice and comfortable. It’s the type of material that little bits of dust gather on, but easy to dust off you. I have to admit I wasn’t too keen on the denier as it fades around the legs. It’t not a block denier all over the legs but becomes patchy in areas which I didn’t really like (like the image above).

  The Support: I felt like these supported me throughout the day and my legs and feet weren’t as tired as they would normally be. I didn’t wear them on the journey back home as I wanted to test the difference and there actually is one – my legs felt really hot and bothered and my feet were aching after walking a lot too. So these really do make your legs feel like wonder woman’s!

  Overall Thoughts?

I think these are amazing for long journeys! I would even recommend them if you’re a woman (or man) on the go and you feel your legs normally get tired after a long day. The compression on these are great and the fact that they last upto 100 washes is just amazing!

I would totally get myself another pair of these as they are so worth it and handy to keep as a go-to pair for those tiresome journeys!

Scholl 60 Denier Compression Tights So I have been dying to try out tights like these, especially when I'm travelling by plane.

[theamazingstories]

(Note:  voting closes in a bit more than ten days from now on 7/21/19.  Membership sales (required for voting rights in most cases) also close soon.  Visit the Dublin in 2019 website for more information.)

This being a Monday, and Mondays being slow, I figured it was about time to share my 2019 Hugo Awards Finalist Ballot, which ballot will be used to help tally the vote for the 2019 Hugo Awards, which will be presented – for the first time ever – in my ancestral lands of Ireland.

(Start at 30 seconds in; the important part comes at 54 seconds)

Sadly, I will not be in attendance, but I am a supporting member and therefore, get to vote.

Below are screen captures of the individual categories and my placements (the Hugo Awards use a preferential voting system where you rank your picks).

The Retro Hugo Awards follow the contemporary Hugo Awards.

Some general comments:  I don’t vote for works I’m not personally familiar with, which happens for one reason and another;  I also don’t consider reading an excerpt from a longer work to be sufficient exposure to judge it properly.

This also means that I don’t necessarily rank everything in a category.

There are a handful of categories I didn’t vote in or opted to select No Award for – excercising my Ghu-given right to “vote” by not selecting anyone or picking No Award to indicate that I disagree with the inclusion of the category in the awards.

This is not pique over disagreeing with a categorie’s inclusion when I campaigned against its inclusion but lost the vote.  It’s actually three reactions:  1. I really don’t think that it should be an award category, find it problematic for various reasons and see it as more (eventual) trouble than it is worth – which gets a “No Award”;  2.  I disagree with the category but don’t care enough – or think it harmful enough – to bother with it and 3.  I’ve no interest in the category and therefore can’t vote because I really don’t engage with it.  Let those who do decide who should win without interference from me.

Note:  the screencaps are a bit difficult to read, so the email summary of my ballot is included after them.  I’m showing the screen caps first because the summary only includes those Finalists that I actually voted for.

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This category, over time I think, is going to cause problems, what with the possibility that a “series” can find itself up for the award in multiple years; not to mention some possible entrants getting short shrift because of availability & etc.

Hoo boy. I completely disagree with the Administrators on the eligibility of Archive of Our Own – not because it showcases “fan fic”, but because it is not a “new” work and has not been updated sufficiently broadly enough to be eligible. Making a website that updated some back-end capabilities eligible is like making The Moon is a Harsh Mistress eligibile again because they changed the type font in a new edition. Further, I am deeply concerned about A: AO3’s members deliberately misconstruing their individual status AND B. even more concerned about large internet “tribes” being able to sway the vote and using their numbers and reach to possibly negate the regular membership’s vote*. And, finally, this category needs to be refined in future to refocus it on academic and critical work within the field.

As stated earlier, if I don’t engage, I don’t vote – but, while I have mild reservations about this category’s inclusion, they’re not strong enough to want to deny others their fun.

It’s really, really difficult to figure out who did what in this category. I believe that editorial work should be awarded, I just think we need a better way to do it. What that might be, I’ve no idea,. so, therefore, I stay mum.

Another category whose inclusion I heartily disagree with. I am PERSONALLY far better off because when I began reading science fiction, there were no distinctions made over what was or was not appropriate for me to read. I believe this is an artificial, marketing-based divide, is detrimental to young readers by suggesting limitations and that we should not be basing awards on marketing categories.

*I’ve been vocal on the AO3 “controversy”.  Early on I asked that they detail the “sufficient” changes made to the site that would make it eligible in a year in which it was not first produced.  (In fact, I think its TEN years AFTER it was first created that we are being asked to vote for it.  As if The Martian appeared on the ballot AFTER the film rolled out, in a year in which the novel itself was not first published in English.)

I am not objecting to “new voters”  coming into the fold here.  We absolutely want that.  What I am finding issue with is an internet community that does not normally engage with the awards doing so to get their “thing” a win.  Just like the gamer gaters that were recruited by the Sad and Rabid puppies.  (No, they are not pups;  some of their actions are ‘puppy-like’.)

If this kind of thing becomes common (and I suspect it may), the awards turn into a defacto “popularity” contest:  how many people who never heard of the Hugo Awards before can we get to vote because their “friends” are up for an award?

But putting that argument aside for a moment:  the public display on the part of AO3 members (yay, all of my fan fic works are now Hugo Nominees:  I’m a Hugo Finalist author – gonna put that right up on my website!) AFTER being informed that they are not entitled to such honors individually, is, to me, more than enough reason to not vote for it.

Prior coverage of this debate here 

Finalist Vote Summary:

Novel:

The Calculating Stars

Trail of Lightning

Space Opera

Novella:

Artificial Condition

The Tea Master and the Detective

Binti: The Night Masquerade

Novelette:

“The Thing About Ghost Stories”

The Only Harmless Great Thing

Short Story:

“The Tale of the Three Beautiful Raptor Sisters, and the Prince Who Was Made of Meat”

“The Court Magician”

“The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington”

Related Work:

Astounding: John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, L. Ron Hubbard, and the Golden Age of Science Fiction

An Informal History of the Hugos: A Personal Look Back at the Hugo Awards

Ursula K. Le Guin: Conversations on Writing

http://www.mexicanxinitiative.com: The Mexicanx Initiative Experience at Worldcon 76

The Hobbit Duology (documentary in three parts)

No award

Dramatic Long:

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Sorry to Bother You

Black Panther

Avengers: Infinity War

Annihilation

A Quiet Place

Dramatic Short:

The Good Place: “Janet(s)”

The Good Place: “Jeremy Bearimy”

Editor Short:

Gardner Dozois

Neil Clarke

Semiprozine:

Strange Horizons

FIYAH Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction

Fireside Magazine

Beneath Ceaseless Skies

Uncanny Magazine

Shimmer

Fanzine:

Rocket Stack Rank

Galactic Journey

Journey Planet

nerds of a feather, flock together

Fan Writer:

Foz Meadows

James Davis Nicoll

Alasdair Stuart

Fan Artist:

Spring Schoenhuth

Series:

No award

New Writer:

Jeannette Ng

Lodestar:

No award

The Retro Hugo Awards

(The older I get, the closer the Retros come to being THE Hugo Awards….)

Yes, seems that this year I have a ‘thing’ for Don Wollheim, Eric Frank Russell and C. L. Moore.

(Pretty sure I’ve always had a thing for them.)

Symbiotica (EF Russell) makes me laugh.  Every. Single. Time.  I think it takes the prize for most vomitous novelette in the history of the genre (though Sturgeon’s The Girl Had Guts comes a very close second).  And by vomitous, I don’t mean on the part of the reader.  I mean, more people vomit in that story than in any other.

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  Summary

Retro Novel:

Conjure Wife

Earth’s Last Citadel

The Weapon Makers

Gather, Darkness!

Perelandra

Retro Novella:

“Attitude”

“Clash by Night”

The Little Prince

“We Print the Truth”

Retro Novelette:

“Symbiotica”

“Mimsy Were the Borogoves”

“The Proud Robot”

“Citadel of Lost Ships”

“The Halfling”

Retro Short Story:

“Q.U.R.”

“Yours Truly – Jack the Ripper”

“Doorway into Time”

“King of the Gray Spaces” (“R is for Rocket”)

“Death Sentence”

Retro Graphic Story:

Flash Gordon: Fiery Desert of Mongo

Buck Rogers: Martians Invade Jupiter

Wonder Woman #5: Battle for Womanhood

Retro Dramatic Long:

Phantom of the Opera

Münchhausen

Heaven Can Wait

Batman

Retro Dramatic Short:

Super-Rabbit

Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman

The Ape Man

Der Fuehrer’s Face

Retro Editor Short:

Donald A. Wollheim

Mary Gnaedinger

Dorothy McIlwraith

John W. Campbell

Raymond A. Palmer

Retro Pro Artist:

Margaret Brundage

Hannes Bok

J. Allen St. John

Virgil Finlay

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

William Timmins

Retro Fanzine:

The Phantagraph

Le Zombie

Futurian War Digest

Guteto

Voice of the Imagi-Nation

Retro Fan Writer:

Jack Speer

Morojo (Myrtle Douglas)

Wilson “Bob” Tucker

Donald A. Wollheim

Forrest J. Ackerman

Art Widner

The 2019 Hugo Awards – Publisher’s Picks (Note:  voting closes in a bit more than ten days from now on 7/21/19.  Membership sales (required for voting rights in most cases) also close soon. 

[zhoutrillion-blog]

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